disturbances

noun

plural of disturbance
1
as in commotions
a state of noisy, confused activity went to investigate the disturbance outside

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disruptions
an act or instance of the order of things being disturbed caused a disturbance in the carefully ordered proceedings

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in harassments
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another the assistant apologized for the disturbance and got straight to the point

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disturbances Estradiol transdermal patches, which deliver the estrogen hormone directly into the bloodstream, are used to ease menopause symptoms such as mood swings, hot flashes and sleep disturbances. — Sriparna Roy, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 Sleep disturbances may also affect the body’s stress and inflammatory responses, potentially influencing digestive function. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026 Sleep disturbances may also modulate stress and inflammatory pathways, influencing digestive function and bowel patterns. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026 Although all of the solar system’s planets with atmospheres have wave-spawning disturbances, only Saturn churns them out looking like polygons, geometric shapes bounded by straight lines. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 Thin lawns may result from poor seeding, shade, disease, pests, and soil disturbances from renovations, construction, aeration, or weed removal. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 31 Aug. 2026 Similar single-ion techniques for mapping electromagnetic fields are being explored to understand the tiny disturbances that can affect quantum hardware. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026 Furthermore, the light emitted from screens appears to contribute to sleep disturbances by disrupting the release of melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. — Erica D. Henn, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026 The smallest robot was the most agile of the three, and the largest one was the best at maintaining its trajectory when faced with disturbances meant to throw it off course. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbances
  1. commotions
  2. disruptions
  3. harassments
  4. noises
  5. turmoils
  6. stirs
Noun
  • Over the past year, men’s ski jumping has been marred by Norway’s cheating scandal and more recent genital manipulation rumors, which has become one of the early commotions of the Milano-Cortina Games.
    — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of commotions
Noun
  • While concerns over oil supply disruptions in the Middle East continue to persist, Venezuela offers a bright spot.
    — Justina Lee, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Officials in Pattaya, where international tourist arrivals have dropped because of travel disruptions and soaring fuel prices stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, say the visit is expected to inject about $3 million into the local economy.
    — Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of disruptions
Noun
  • The everyday realities of life under the occupation, including the hassles and harassments of bureaucratic delays and security checkpoints, can suddenly become matters of life and death.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026
Definition of harassments
Noun
  • McGee joked with the crowd that their most similar qualities were distress around loud noises and mild anxiety.
    — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Anna Watson’s lighting keeps much of the house just dim enough to make the imagination dangerous, while Tony winner Gareth Fry’s sound design surrounds the audience with ominous noises whose sources aren’t always immediately clear.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of noises
Noun
  • About two couples, connected and dependent on one another, raising their kids alongside each other, facing the same turmoils, the same existential questions.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Mayer and Strong offer a broad pop-history lesson, in which the same tensions and turmoils churn on and on in their terrible cycle throughout the decades; the only thing that’s changed are the aesthetics.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Definition of turmoils
Noun
  • Refrigerated pie crust helps this pie come together with just a few stirs of the whisk.
    — Patricia S York, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
Definition of stirs

Browse Nearby Words

disturbance
disturbances
disturbed
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Cite this Entry

“Disturbances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbances. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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